Microsoft announces Surface Pro coming Feburary 9th

Microsoft has just made it official, the Surface Pro (starting at $899) will go on sale Saturday, February 9th online, in Microsoft Stores, Staples and Best Buy.

Featuring a Core i5 or Core i7 Intel processor (according to Cnet) with either 64GB or 128GB of storage, the high-end device with a 1080P display wont come with a Touch or Type Pad, requiring an extra purchase. However, users will get the pressure sensitive pen for note taking.

Originally expected at the end of January, the Surface Pro was bumped back a few weeks due possibly to the new CPU taking longer for production. Although the Surface Pro is slightly larger than its RT sibling, it's expected to be much more powerful and geared towards those in business or with more professional needs.

Microsoft has set up a "Help me choose" comparison chart on their site to better explain the differences between the RT and Pro versions, highlighting their core differences.

Not with you. I'll either get the iPad for the good reading capabilities or more likely, the Razer Edge. Get a tablet for gaming and a dedicated graphics card, or a cheaper tablet that is good for productivity.

LOL! Productivity on an iPad? Producing what, Tic-Tac-Toe? Other tablets only good for being consumption devices, not productivity in any real sense. Even the Surface RT is only minimally better in that respect. The Surface Pro (as will be the other Windows 8 tablets) will be the first truly productive tablet.

Yey. The RT has been a really nice treat, but I think I would like more flexibility with applications nevermind segregating work from play content. Having witnessed the build quality of the RT I am hopeful of the PRO. Can't wait to see one.

Honestly I have an RT and am thinking of getting the Pro and keeping both. I love that they will use the same chargers and covers. I'll keep one charger at work and one at home and use the cover on whichever device im currently lugging around.

i7 has higher clock speed, more threads, more watt usage more cache... Better processor all around, but I can't imagine it being sqeezed into that same form factor with the heat dissipation needed to cool it over the i5, which is a feat in itself.

The i7 doesn't have more threads, does it? I thought both were quad-cores with 8 threads. The clock speed is higher, but that's really not a meaningful thing with a laptop/tablet. Unless the rule for te mobile processorsor different, that is, which is why I ask.

Depends on the i7 processor model. In a tablet form it is most likely the same as the i5 with two cores and 4 threads but higher clock speed, more cache, etc. I doubt they would be squeezing a quad core with 8 threads in there. It would be horrendous with battery life and not to mention heat but it would be ridiculously fast thought.... I can guarantee it will look similar to those found in Ultrabooks. I think an i5 Surface with the on board SSD will outperform many i7 laptops in day to day things and running desktop and legacy applications while still maintaining a good battery life... I highly doubt a 48watt charger will power an i7 processor...

dont prolong anything win8 but also agree i think that syncing my music has to be honestly the most infuriating thing ever. i even chatted with support and they couldnt help me with anything and all i wanna do is create a got-dang playlist.

I love what is there of Windows 8 and my Surface, but half of my computer usage is media. And as a result, it just pisses me off. Even more angering is that Music Info has seen 10+ SIGNIFICANT updates and Xbox Music has had 1 meaningless update. They released a broken product and need to fix it PRONTO, not releasing more products that will be plagued by it.

i understand, but i gave up trying to sync anything on my Rt or win8pc and just do everything from the phone (which is a pain) but i am sure they cant stop producing windows 8 pcs. i do think that someone needs to get their poop (lol poop) together and create a music app and a syncing client that works.... my media is important to me and they arent getting it right (Failing miserably at it) Its their duty to do it (hehehee duty)

Problem with this is, I don't always get my music through XBox. Some is ripped, some bought else where because they don't offer it. I have 6 new pieces of music on my PC and the first nightmare is getting the tagging info and art to work correctly. If I am lucky enough to get by that issue, the next obstacle is manually moving each file to my phone, then the surface because syncing is a joke

Same here I buy mostly CDs. However i rip them using WMP and then use MP3Tag to get the tag/artwork if WMP didn't find it. From there I right click, match, and it shows up on my phone via the cloud. Works great for me.
I just started using Xbox Music Pass and now I download more mp3s than i used to through Zune. Then i strip the drm and move them to my Cowon J3. Either way with Windows 8 i can select them and click match (if it is in the Xbox db) and it will show up on my phone. I don't know how it would work for Surface.

Its been said a million times...and it still hasn't been said enough. Should have kept Zune, tweeked it for touch screens, and replaced the Zune logos with Xbox Logos. Want proof that they had something good going? Everyone when they mention the new iTunes, makes reference to the fact that they tried to make it look like the Zune setup. Apple didn't try to mimic them because it sucked. They may have kept laughing at the Zune and trying to publicly mock it but when you change up your successful program to try and mimic the Zune, that tells you they thought a lot more about it than they let on publicly..

Hmmm...that's what I said...and currently the Surface RT is the only Surface in anyone's hands. My complaint is, that since the Pro is coming and those people can just use VLC or Zune, the whole Xbox music/Video will be swept under the rug, because it works for "most" of the surface owners if they switch to VLC. Even scarier is that Microsoft hasn't even acknowledged its awareness of the mess they have made. At least pull an "Apple's Street" and announce you know it sucks and are working on it.

me too, for Verizon. And please don't say just use your phone's hotspot. Nice to have it all in one like some android or iPad's that use some secret technology and common sense unbeknownst to MS or any PC maker. <\bitterness>

I haven't found anything earlier in this round of searches, but a few hours ago I found news reports dated September and October 2012 indicating i7. Problem is tech media, our dear WPCentral included on rare occasion, falls for the trap of repeating other tech media's misinformation instead of going to the original source for informtion.

Last time Surface specs misinformation spread through techmedia, everyone, and I mean everyone, was quoting Engadget's incorrect Surface specs, even though surface.com had them plainly available for all to see.

Intel's site says all 3rd Gen core i5, i7 and i3 so I would assume the WiFi chipset on all these devices would be made compatible or it wouldn't make sense; surface pro will have the HD 4000 graphics too

Ehhhh I wonder what the profit margin is on this. I am thinking about buying one but the price is extremely high. I need something that can do textbooks well, as well as other things such as different video media types. My cellphone is android but I am very intrigued by the Microsoft Surface line.
It would be awesome to be able to dual boot Linux or Android with it.

unless you have alot of time on your hands i wouldnt bother with it, the surface pro is a full fledged pc so if you can use windows 7 for the things you need you can use windows 8 pro for the things you need. The surface pro is windows 7 with the added benefit of a tablet interface for stuff on the go.

Starting at 900$? LOL Why the hell would I pay SO MUCH for that Surface when I can easly get an Asus running W8 for much less?
I don't get Microsoft and their price policy. Do they think that they are still ahead of the game? Do they think that, with these prices, they stand a chance against the iPad? I just don't understand what's going through the brains of the people at Redmond.

True, but it's what it will be in competition with. And these prices aren't attractive at all. In the end of the day, they're just two tablets. And I think they should aim to the average consumer. And the average consumer never goes into technical details. Plus, Microsoft isn't popular as it once was. So I was expecting them to go with a more aggressive campaign. Well, unless they want the Surface venture to flop badly. And the RT isn't doing that well already. Introducing a better one but way more expensive doesn't seem like a good move.

I disagree. The Pro is going head to head with the MBP; not the iPad. It's cheaper than the MBP, has a touch screen, detacvhable keyboard, and runs legacy Windows software. I don't see the price being unreasonable at all.

And you're making yourself one look like one hell of an ass AND a moron; How could you even begin to compare the Pro with an iPad, apples and oranges really (no pun intended), heck, the surface looks more like a PC if anything, not a tablet.. --one hell of a portable one too.

I've personally used an iPad recently and frankly I think it sucks. I don't understand why people love it so much. Maybe I just prefer productivity and functionality over gimmicks. *shrugs*

I think that it's actually Microsoft's fault that people repeatedly compare the Pro to an iPad; they should make their advertising clearer in my opinion. The reality is that Microsoft have been referring to the Pro as a 'laptop' and with its specs, it is competing with the MacBook Air, not any iPad.
For example, the iPad cannot run the Apple desktop equivalent of Mountain Lion, so it is not fair to compare it to the Surface Pro which can run Microsoft's equivalent desktop software, Windows 8. In which case, the Surface is the cheaper of the two!
Also, DJCBS, you may be unaware of this so if you go onto the Surface's official YouTube channel, they just posted a video showing how this is a professional device, not a mainstream device like the iPad. You've got your mindset in the wrong market. This is a *read* PREMIUM device. Of course you will find other tablets running Win8 for cheaper, but they won't be to the same build quality, have the same set of features (pen-input, DisplayPort, USB 3.0, keyboard cover, stand) and have the same specs (Full HD screen, Core i5, 4GB RAM).
If you think it's too expensive for what it is, it's clearly not for you. But that doesn't make it expensive for others.
Personally, I cannot wait to get this when it's available in the UK! I'll be starting Uni this year (I'm 18) and it's exactly what I need in every way. Being able to plug it into a big display and use it like a desktop means I won't have any other computing expenses to worry about, not to mention this is the perfect tool for note-taking using the pen with OneNote, which is free on the Store.

Sorry if it souded harsh, but I have been reading a lot of articles lately where one site publishes rumors/unreliable stuff and then all others follow and just repeat the stuff instead of going to the source and stating the facts (in this case the MS Press release). Was getting a bit annoyed with this type of reporting. thx for the source.

Cool for the U. S., happy for you guys!
Well, The day this thing is sold in my country, it' will be already outdated ... We don't even get the surface RT here. I guess that whenever I buy anything Windows 8, MS won't be the manufacturer (heck, even Bing is still in Beta here, that's how much MS values my country. :-(
If course I could import, but I rarely buy before being able to try it out.
Thanks god for OEMs! :-)

According to @surface Twitter account,
Hey, @surface, great news! Can I preorder my Pro for arrival on Feb 9 or do I hit the closest retail store? What's my best bet?
"Your best bet will be to head to the closest retail store or order online starting Feb 9th! We're excited for you to grab one!"

Keeping my WinRT Surface when I get the Surface pro. One I'll keep at home and one I'll bring to work.

Wonder if there's a way to install Windows 7 on the Surface. Not needing it or anything, but I still prefer the old desktop look instead of the "Modern UI" which makes it look akin to an oversized Windows Phone. I know there's apps to bring back the old interface, but I'm more familiar with Win7 than Win8.

Will Best But actually make space for it on their display shelves or just have a disinterested employee hold it under their arm. I had to chase the guy down to see the RT when they started carrying it and when I asked questions, he knew very little.